It's You, It's Always Been You
by kerrbear726
Summary: Martin finds out he isn't going to be a father afterall, but now his relationship with Ruthie has changed.
1. The Truth is Out

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, just my hopeful situation!

A/N: This is how I'd like to see the Martin/Ruthie thing play out. Please review and let me know what you all think. First piece of fanfic...be gentle!

Martin sat down heavily on the brown, suede couch. He sighed, ran his hands through his hair and looked up at the ceiling. A slow smile crept over his face.

"Thank you, God!" he yelled to the ceiling.

The doorbell suddenly rang, rousing Martin from his prayers. He pulled himself up off of the couch and, smile still in place, walked toward the door. Opening the heavy oak door, he saw Ruthie standing on the porch.

"Hey," he said easily. "What's going on?"

Ruthie's face tightened. Martin noticed her shifting nervously from one foot to the other.

"You wanna come in or something?" Martin asked, brow raised slightly.

Ruthie pursed her lips tightly before pushing past Martin and entering the house. She walked all the way into the living room before finally turning around to face Martin. Her face was red as if she'd been holding her breath the entire time.

Martin gave Ruthie a quizzical look. "Is something wrong?"

"You tell me."

Martin's brow creased in confusion. "I don't know. But something must be wrong by the way you look right now."

Ruthie glared at Martin. "You're such a...such a...you're such a liar!" she yelled.

Martin stepped back. During the time Martin had lived with the Camdens, he had seen Ruthie go through a wide range of emotions, but he couldn't ever remember a time when he'd seen her this angry.

"What did I lie about?" he asked.

"Sandy," Ruthie spit out, as if the word itself tasted horribly on her tongue.

Martin swallowed the ever-growing lump in his throat. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. So she knew.

"Well say something!" Ruthie demanded, hands firmly planted on her hips.

"What do you want me to say?" he asked. "Nothing I say will make this go away."

"You told me that you had no idea why she was always hanging around these last few weeks. You told me you didn't know why she was calling you. You said that you hardly knew her at all!" Ruthie said, heatedly.

"Well that part is true," Martin admitted. "I don't really know her at all. As for the rest..."

"What?"

Martin shook his head. "It's all fine now."

"Because it turned out she wasn't pregnant, after all?"

"Exactly."

Martin looked down at the tips of his new sneakers. He didn't have the courage to look at Ruthie. Her disappointment in him was clearly written all over her face; the pain was more than evident in her eyes. But Martin knew that Ruthie was waiting and he wanted to explain things to her. He wanted things between them to go back to normal.

"I messed up, Ruthie. That's all I can say. No words can ever excuse what I did. But people do mess up. It does happen," he explained.

A lone tear escaped from Ruthie's pain-filled eyes, catching Martin completely off guard. "I know that people mess up, but you weren't supposed to be one of them."

Martin bridged the gap between them slowly, taking small and steady strides toward Ruthie, but she still jumped away when he tried to hug her. He winced. "You aren't going to make this easy on me, are you?"

"You had sex with some random girl, Martin!" Ruthie pointed out. "And then you lied about it. Friends aren't supposed to lie to each other."

"Yeah, well, friends aren't supposed to be so judgmental either. Friends are supposed to be supportive and understanding. Friends are supposed to forgive."

Ruthie sat down on an open chair. She felt exhausted and deflated. She didn't know what to say to Martin or why any of this was so hard.

"I guess I expected more from you," she whispered finally.

"Well maybe I expected more from you, Ruthie!" Martin shot back, surprising Ruthie.

"Pardon?"

"That's right," Martin began, starting to pace the room, never once looking at her. "Maybe I expected you to react a little differently. Your whole family goes around preaching about being kind to your fellow man and forgiving the sins of others, but it really feels like the whole Camden family is ready to condemn me for one little mistake that I don't ever intend on making again!"

"No one is ready to condemn you, but feelings have been hurt here, Martin," Ruthie tried to explain.

Martin stopped his frantic movement around the room. He stared at Ruthie. "Why are you so upset about this?"

"Excuse me?" Ruthie asked. "You have to ask?"

"I get being disappointed in me for what I did. I even get being a little miffed that I lied to you. What I don't get is why you'd cry over me sleeping with another girl."

"Another girl?" Ruthie asked, confused.

"I mean…a...a girl. I don't get why you'd be upset enough to shed tears over my sleeping with someone. Be angry! Throw stuff! Tell me you hate me!"

Ruthie paused just long enough for Martin to notice that something had changed in her demeanor. A horrified look ran across his face and Ruthie worked to cover up her slip. "I'm just upset that you lied. It hurts to think that you don't trust me. That's all."

Martin shook his head. "No. Now you're the one who's lying!"

"I am not. Whatever you say, Martin. I'm leaving." Ruthie began to head out of the room.

She tried to walk quickly past Martin, but not quick enough. He gently grabbed hold of her hand. Ruthie stopped dead in her tracks and looked down at Martin's hand holding hers.

"Please let me go," she whispered.

"Not until..." Martin let his voice trail off, not sure where he was going with this.

Ruthie couldn't find the courage to look at Martin. Instead she kept her eyes focused on her hand in Martin's. In all the time they'd known each other, through all the tender moments they had ever shared, Ruthie couldn't remember her heart ever beating this fast.

"Not until what?" she asked.

Martin swallowed hard and bent forward. He gently placed a hand under Ruthie's chin, lifting it until their eyes met.

"What is this?" Martin asked quietly.

Ruthie shook her head slowly. Time felt like it was moving in slow motion. Sounds felt elevated. Martin could swear he could hear Ruthie's heart beating in quick time to his own.

"Ruthie?" Martin whispered.

Ruthie took a deep breath and lifted her eyes to Martin's.


	2. Let's Do Something About It

Ruthie stared deep into Martin's eyes, all the while holding her breath. Martin brazenly returned her stare, his own breathing shallow.

And before either knew just what was happening, Martin had pulled Ruthie in closely and was kissing her lips ever so gently. The kiss was so subtle it could have been a whisper on their lips.

"What was that?" Martin asked suddenly, pulling away and almost tripping over his own feet as he stepped away from Ruthie.

Ruthie felt a little shaky on her feet and so she remained firmly planted to the spot where her life had taken a serious change in direction. Had Martin just kissed her?

"Ruthie?" Martin asked.

"Huh?" Ruthie asked. "What?"

"You kissed me," Martin accused, stepping even further away from Ruthie. "You shouldn't have done that."

The fog enveloping Ruthie began to clear. "I didn't kiss you. You kissed me."

Martin shook his head and again, took another step backward. "I wouldn't kiss you, Ruthie. I don't think of you like that."

Ruthie felt her cheeks get hot under his stare. A moment ago things had been working in her favor; Martin had kissed her. Now things were all against her. She felt more confused than ever.

"You kissed me, Martin," Ruthie shouted. Lowering her emotional voice she said, "You kissed me."

Martin shook his head forcefully. "I did not. And if I did…well I just take it back."

Ruthie gave Martin an exasperated look. "You can't just kiss someone and then take it back. You kissed me and now it's out there. It won't just go away."

"I don't…I don't…I just don't like you like that," Martin explained. "You're like my little sister. I have a girlfriend. I have Meredith."

"You trying to convince me or yourself?" Ruthie asked sarcastically.

"I don't need to convince anyone. There's nothing going on here anyway. I'm just happy about how things turned out with Sandy. You were upset about me lying to you. We're both just feeling really emotional right now. The kiss was nothing. It meant nothing. Pretend like it never happened," Martin advised.

Ruthie walked straight up to Martin and stood in front of him, hands on hips, in her usual forceful way. She looked up into his eyes. It was times like these when she hated being so short. She wished that she could be looking Martin right in the eyes.

Even though Ruthie was so much shorter than Martin, he still stepped back, feeling somewhat threatened by her proximity.

"You listen here, Martin Brewer! You kissed me. I think you kissed me because you wanted to. In fact, I think you've wanted to kiss me for quite some time now. You just don't have the guts to admit it! So stop using Sandy or Meredith or Cecilia as an excuse and just face what's going on here!" she yelled.

"What's going on here?" Martin asked, playing dumb.

"What's going on here is that you like me, Martin. And now that it's all out in the open, let's just do something about it."


	3. Some Things Are Worth Fighti

"Do what?" Martin asked.

Ruthie took a deep breath and stepped toward Martin, raised herself onto tiptoes and puckered her lips. Martin took Ruthie's shoulders in his hands and gently picked her up, placing her a few inches away when he put her back down on the ground.

Holding an unsteady hand in front of him, Martin said, "Hold it! I don't know what crazy scheme you've got cooking up there in that head of yours, but this can go no further than it already has!"

"In case you missed the memo here, Martin, guys think its cool when girls aren't afraid to make the first move. Also, girls think its cool when guys aren't afraid to let the girls make the first move."

Martin's throat suddenly became dry. He looked over at Ruthie and for the first time he saw just how beautiful she really was. How had this transformation eluded him? How had he never noticed the angelic innocence Ruthie emanated?

"Martin?" Ruthie asked. "You spacing out on me or what?"

Martin, returning from his out-there voyage of discovery, shook his head to clear his thoughts. "I just…Ruthie, I just think that this is all a big mistake. You and I are friends. I've never thought of you in any romantic terms. It's just not where my head is right now."

"So where's your heart?" Ruthie asked plainly.

And there it was; the reason why Martin cared for Ruthie as much as he did. She wasn't like other girls her age. She was afraid of nothing. She wasn't afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve. And she challenged Martin more than any other girl ever would. He was trying so hard to push her away and with one frank line from Ruthie, he forgot why he was fighting this.

"So?" Ruthie pushed. "If your head is telling you that you don't want me, what is your heart saying?"

Martin took a deep breath and shrugged. "I don't know. I honestly don't know. Yesterday I thought my life was over. I was so overjoyed to hear that Sandy wasn't really pregnant. All I cared about was being given a second chance to do things right. If someone would have told me I'd be wrestling with my feelings for you, I'd have told them they were crazy."

"That wasn't an answer," Ruthie pointed out, with a crooked smile. Martin couldn't help but return the smile. "I'd just like to know before I leave this house, if you and I are friends or if there's a chance we could be something more."

Martin made his way over to the couch and sat down heavily. He crooked a finger, calling Ruthie to sit down beside him. Ruthie, reluctantly, sat, waiting for Martin to make his decisions.

"So let's just say that maybe…maybe…I'm interested in you as more than just a friend. That still doesn't mean you and I could ever date, Ruthie," Martin explained. "Your family would never let you date an older guy, especially now that they know about Sandy."

Ruthie sighed. She had been arguing incessantly with her father about being allowed to date older guys, one in particular. But this was Martin, and her family loved Martin, although there had been a general air of disappointment traveling through the Camden household after learning of Sandy's 'predicament'. It would appear almost hopeless, but Ruthie knew of no such situation, especially if it was important enough to her.

"I can hear the wheels grinding. What have you got going on up there, Ruthie?" Martin asked.

"Well, my dad doesn't want me to date older guys, right? Well Lucy is younger than Kevin and my father let them get married."

Martin smiled. She did have a point. "Yeah, but this whole thing with Sandy?"

"Kevin had sex before he met Lucy. Simon's had sex with lots of girls. Besides I don't think my dad would bring that up."

Martin raised an eyebrow. "You're a dreamer," he smiled, pulling Ruthie closer to his side. "I'll admit that being with you would probably be great. In a lot of ways, you're my best friend. We already know everything about each other, so we know there'd be no surprises. And I've already seen you in the mornings without hairspray or makeup!"

Ruthie hit him lightly. "So does this mean-?"

Martin took a deep breath and put a frown onto his face. "It's just not a great idea right now. First of all, there's Meredith, my girlfriend. I'm gonna have to tell her about this and try to make her understand that you're still her friend and not some backstabber. And if we did wanna be together, we'd have to fight tooth and nail to get past your parents."

With a simple shrug of her shoulders, Ruthie said, "Some things are worth fighting for."


	4. Facing the Music

Martin couldn't help but smile at the girl by his side. She had so much fight in her. He admired her strength of will. Ruthie Camden was no pushover.

"So are you saying that you'd be willing to go to your parents and tell them that you want to date me?" Martin asked.

Ruthie shook her head. "Nope. But _we_ will be."

"Are you absolutely sure this is what you want to do?" Martin asked.

Ruthie suddenly realized that words alone would not convince Martin just how serious she really was about this. Ruthie gently took hold of Martin's chin and brought it down to her level, before tenderly placing her lips onto his. She brought her body close to his, until she could feel a warmth building deep inside her. Placing her other hand on the back of Martin's neck, she brought their mouths together more fully. Brazenly she traced the outline of Martin's lips with her warm and tentative tongue, teasing his lips until they opened. She delved her tongue deep inside, awakening Martin's as the two enjoyed the deep, sensuous kiss.

When Ruthie finally pulled away, Martin was breathless and more than a little shaken. Inside, Ruthie joyously raised her victory flag!

"Where? How? Who?" Martin stuttered, eyes wide. "Who taught you that?"

Ruthie smiled slyly. Obviously she had convinced Martin that she was mature enough to handle a relationship with an older guy.

"Do you need any more convincing?" she asked.

Martin smiled and took a deep breath, letting the air out of his lungs slowly. "There's a huge part of me that really wants to say no just so you'll kiss me like that again. But I'm afraid I'd never be able to let you go after another one, so I'll just say yes. I'm totally convinced that you're sure you wanna do this."

"So, does this mean you're my boyfriend?" Ruthie asked shyly.

Martin smiled. "I will be after your father gives us his blessing."

"Ruthie's been over there for way too long," Lucy pointed out, drawing the curtains back further.

Kevin gave his wife an exasperated look and dragged her away from the window. "Honey, Ruthie and Martin need time to work through their fight. Stop being so nosy."

Lucy gave Kevin a wicked look and turned to her equally paranoid father for assistance. "Dad?"

"I kind of agree with Kevin, honey," Eric shrugged. "Ruthie will come home when she and Martin have worked things out."

"But you heard Mom!" Lucy squealed. "Mom said that Ruthie admitted to having a crush on Martin. Her heart must be breaking having found out that Martin had sex with Sandy."

Eric looked over at Annie who was busy with Savannah. The thought of his baby girl dating an experienced guy like Martin made him cringe. Ruthie was doing so much changing lately it scared everyone.

"Would it be so horrible if Martin and Ruthie wanted to date?" Kevin asked.

"Yes!" they all exclaimed in unison.

"It was just a question," Kevin whispered.

"I can't believe that you think it would be okay for our little sister to date Martin!" Lucy said heatedly.

Kevin shrugged. "I like Martin. I like Martin a lot more than I liked that Vincent guy or that Jack guy for that matter. We know Martin. He's like part of the family. I for one think that she could do a lot worse than Martin."

Lucy swatted Kevin on the arm and went back to the window. Nothing. She turned to face Kevin. "Martin is two years older than Ruthie."

"So? I'm older than you," Kevin pointed out.

"That's different. We didn't start dating when I was fifteen. Ruthie should be dating guys her own age; guys who aren't out having sex with girls they barely know," Lucy quipped.

Kevin, once again, pulled Lucy away from the window. "Martin made one mistake, and with the scare he got, I'm sure that it's not one he plans to make again. All I'm saying is that if Ruthie and Martin wanted to date, I'd be okay with it."

Lucy opened her mouth to shoot Kevin down when the front door suddenly opened and in walked Ruthie and Martin…


	5. Hard Choices

Ruthie and Martin stopped just inches from the doorway, aware that Annie, Eric, Lucy and Kevin were all staring at them. Martin had never felt so nervous walking into this familiar house before, not even when he first moved in. He didn't like feeling this way about the Camdens; they were family.

"Is she back yet?" Simon yelled, bounding down the stairs, stopping short and almost tumbling the rest of the way down the stairs when he saw Martin and Ruthie at the doorway. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," Ruthie said easily. "Looks like you've all been waiting for us."

Lucy shifted nervously from one foot to the other and crossed her arms awkwardly over her chest. Simon appeared to be frozen on the last step of the staircase, like he was afraid to move further into the room. Eric was holding his breath and Annie was using Savannah as a means of distraction. Kevin, the only one who didn't look scared as hell, tried to hide his amused smile.

"We should take Savannah home. It's almost time for her bath," Kevin said, nudging Lucy toward the kitchen. Lucy wanted to stay, but realized that Kevin would only cause a bigger scene if she chose to stay. Reluctantly, she walked over to her mother, took Savannah into her arms, mouthed 'call me later' to Eric, and left with Kevin.

"I should go call Rose," Simon announced a little too loudly, before turning to head up the stairs in quick time.

"We sure know how to clear a room fast," Ruthie said looking up at Martin.

Martin still hadn't said a word, taken a step, or allowed himself to breathe normally since he'd walked into the front door with Ruthie. And by the looks on Annie and Eric's faces, he wouldn't be doing any of those things soon.

"So I think we all have some talking to do," Ruthie finally announced.

Eric nodded his head slowly, followed his wife into the living room, where he sat on the edge of the sofa, awaiting this news from his baby girl. A sense of dread seemed to fill the stuffy air.

"Ruthie?" Martin whispered, pulling her back towards the door. "I don't know about this."

Ruthie smiled at Martin, reassuring him that everything would be okay. "It will be fine, Martin. My parents love you."

Ruthie lead Martin into the living room and the two nervous teenagers sat down on the sofa opposite her parents. She had to admit, her parents did look like this was the last place in the world they wanted to be. Had her mother told the rest of the family about Ruthie admitting she had feelings for Martin? What was she thinking? Of course she had! (Secrets rarely stayed secret in this family!)

"So?" Eric finally asked, breaking the awkward silence that was hanging in the room. "You wanted to talk to us about something?"

Ruthie looked up at Martin, who shook his head firmly. Ruthie sighed before turning to her parents. "Martin and I want to date each other," she said matter-of-factly.

Martin cringed hearing the words spoken aloud. Eric began to rub his chest. He was sure the next big one was on its way. Annie, who had been preparing herself for this all along, sat, calmly thinking on her response.

"Well?" Ruthie asked.

"You aren't allowed to date older guys," Eric stated, still clutching his chest. "You knew this, Ruthie. This all came out when you wanted permission to date Jack. Your mother and I want you to date, just not with older guys."

"Yes, but this isn't just any guy. It's Martin," Ruthie said, smiling up at Martin, who still looked like he was dying inside.

"Well the rules don't just change," Eric shrugged. "Rules are rules."

"Yes, but you've made exceptions in the past," Ruthie pointed out.

"You're talking about Kevin and Lucy?" Annie asked. "Lucy wasn't fifteen and asking to date a boy almost two years older than her. If she had, we would have told her no."

"I would think that this rule is meant to protect your children, right? Well, you don't have to worry about that if it's Martin. You know Martin and you trust Martin. He lived in our house for nearly a year. So this rule can be bent slightly to accommodate my dating Martin."

Eric and Annie exchanged looks. Annie smiled at Martin. "Of course we know and trust and love Martin. That's not the issue."

Martin slid himself to the edge of the sofa cushion, leaned forward and asked, "Is the issue Sandy?"

Eric fidgeted, giving his answer away. "You've just gotten over a colossal situation here, Martin. I would think you'd want to give girls a rest for a while. Maybe concentrate on school and baseball. Give yourself a little breathing room before jumping into another relationship right away."

"This wasn't something I really thought about, Mr. Camden," Martin admitted. "I've always cared for Ruthie, but I thought we were just friends. It wasn't until this 'colossal situation' that I was able to step back and really see where my," he paused and looked at Ruthie before, "where my heart really is."

"Oh boy," Annie whispered.

"I'm sorry that it took my making a huge mistake like I did for me to realize that I care for Ruthie and want to be with her. In a perfect world, I would have known all along and never gotten involved with Sandy in the first place," Martin said.

Ruthie looked at her father. Her eyes were pleading with his to just give them a chance. Lucky for Eric, he'd been through this with two other daughters.

"I'm sorry, Ruthie, but the answer is still no."

Tears formed behind Ruthie's eyelids, threatening to spill out at any moment. Her eyes were misty as she looked to her mother for support. Annie immediately looked away. Tears fell onto Ruthie's cheeks. She made no attempt to dry them away.

"I should go," Martin finally said.

Ruthie walked him to the door, tears still streaming down her face. "We'll try again later. They'll change their minds, I know it."

Martin hated seeing Ruthie this way. "Ruthie, I think it's best if we just put things on hold for a while. The last thing I want to do is come between you and your family."

Ruthie's eyes searched Martin's for an explanation as to why moments ago he had given her his heart and now he was taking it away. "You can't mean that?"

Martin nodded his head. "I do. Maybe, maybe it just wasn't meant to be."

"Martin?" Ruthie pleaded. Martin turned his back to Ruthie; his shoulders slumped with the weight of his decision, and headed toward his own house. Ruthie quietly closed the door.

Ruthie walked into the living room and looked at her parents, tears streaming out of control down her face. "I want you to know that if I can't be with Martin, my life is over! I hate you both!" she screamed before exiting the room.

A/N: A little dramatic I know, but isn't it what we love most about Ruthie?


	6. Living With It

"You just seem a little distracted this morning," Meredith pointed out as she fumbled through her binder, trying to find her History paper. "You sure everything's okay?"

Martin's mind raced through possible ways to tell Meredith he didn't want to see her anymore. Weeks ago he had told her that he loved her, and thought that he had meant it, but now, everything was different.

First of all, he hadn't told Meredith about Sandy's pregnancy scare. So many other people already knew the truth that it was only a matter of time before Meredith found out. He wanted to be the one to tell her. He also had to find a way to tell her that his feelings toward Ruthie had, quite suddenly shifted.

It was funny how one minute your whole world can literally turn upside down. Martin had never looked at Ruthie as anything more than just a really good friend. Now he couldn't stop thinking about that passionate kiss Ruthie had planted on him just two days ago. And the truth had burst forward; he loved Ruthie, he probably always had.

Yesterday, after seeing Ruthie at church, after being ignored by Ruthie at church, Martin had been more than a little bummed. Mac had noticed instantly when they had gone to the ball field to bat a few balls in the hot afternoon sun.

"_You okay?" Mac asked, tossing the ball easily to Martin._

_Martin swung, and missed again. "I can't get into my usual groove today. It's just not happening," he said putting the bat down and heading to the bench._

"_You wanna talk about it?" Mac asked, sitting down beside his troubled friend. "Is this about Ruthie, Meredith or Sandy?"_

_Mac was snickering, but Martin didn't like being laughed at. "Funny."_

"_Well Ruthie looked pretty upset with you today at church," Mac pointed out. "She wouldn't even look at you. In fact, none of the Camdes would look at you."_

_Martin sighed. It was true. Even Reverend Camden had tried to avoid Martin. Was this how things were going to be now?_

"_So, buddy, what's up?" Mac pushed. "You and Ruthie have a fight? Is this about Sandy?"_

_Martin looked at Mac. He'd been a good friend through the whole Sandy ordeal. Mac had kept his mouth shut and offered some pretty good advice. Martin wondered if it'd be okay to tell Mac about what was going on between him and Ruthie._

"_You can tell me, man. I'm only asking as a friend, not a spy or an informer."_

_Martin laughed. "This can't leave the baseball diamond."_

_Mac's eyes lit up, sure he was about to hear something juicy. "You have my word."_

"_Okay, well, Ruthie came to my house on Saturday, basically to get mad at me for lying to her about Sandy. But then she started to cry and things got really weird." Martin paused. Mac had a smirk on his face. "What?"_

_Mac tried to get himself under control, but couldn't. "You and Ruthie?"_

_Martin gave his friend a look. "Sort of."_

_Mac burst out laughing. "I knew it! I was wondering how long it would take for the two of you to get all carried away. It's been so obvious!"_

"_What!" Martin exclaimed._

_Mac sighed and patted his friend, supportively, on the back. "You're not so bright when it comes to girls, man. Ruthie? She's, like, who you were meant to be with. She's not your friend, Martin, she's your match. She's always been."_

_Martin gave Mac a weird look. "What are you talking about?"_

_Mac sighed once again, not able to believe how shortsighted his friend really was. "You get crazy with jealousy anytime you see her with another guy. You hated Vincent from the very start. You didn't want Ruthie to be interested in me, but you certainly didn't want me to be interested in her. You comment on the things she wears, the things she says, the places she goes, and who she goes with. You two banter on about everything. Not to mention the fact that when you told me about Sandy, your only worry was about Ruthie finding out. You've always liked Ruthie."_

_Martin thought about this for a while. He shrugged. Mac wasn't lying. He did all of those things. So why hadn't he ever seen it before?_

"_So what exactly happened between you two?" Mac asked, his interest piqued._

_Martin smiled, remembering the kiss. "We decided we wanted to be together."_

_Mac made a face. "How can you be a jock and be so unfamiliar with the concept of 'jock talk'? Details, Martin. How exactly did this come about?"_

_Martin blushed. Mac wasn't the type of guy to go around blabbing, so Martin shared a little bit with him. "We kissed."_

_Mac smiled wide. "Was it good?"_

_Martin smiled and took a deep breath. "It was amazing. Who knew Ruthie Camden had it in her?"_

_Mac slapped Martin on the back. The two got up from the bench and walked back to the field. Mac finally broke the silence with, "Tongue?" The two friends shared a laugh._

"Martin?" Meredith asked, waving a hand in front of his face. "Where were you?"

Martin shook himself out of his daydream and apologized. "Sorry. Um, I've got to get to class now, but can we talk later?"

Meredith smiled and leaned toward Martin, ready to kiss him goodbye. Martin pulled back and smiled, uneasily. "I really have to go, but we'll talk later."

On his way to class, while pondering on the best way to end things with Meredith so that everyone could still remain friends, Martin ran, full force, into Ruthie.

"Watch it!" Ruthie yelled, bending down to pick up the books she had dropped in the collision.

Martin bent down too, knocking the top of his head onto Ruthie's. Ruthie gave him an evil look and held out her hand for him to stop. She gathered her books quickly and began to walk away.

"Ruthie?" Martin called, running to catch up with her. "I think we should talk."

Ruthie stopped walking and turned to face Martin head on. "There's nothing more to talk about. You made that decision and now you'll have to live with it!"


	7. Eating Cake

"Ouch!" Mac said, strolling up beside Martin. "That was the coldest reception from someone you were kissing no longer than forty-eight hours ago. What happened?"

Martin sighed, his heart feeling heavy, watching Ruthie walk away. How had things gotten so complicated so quickly? I was a jerk, Martin told himself. I treated Ruthie like it never really mattered anyway. Now she hates me.

"Her parents don't want us seeing each other, probably because of the whole Sandy thing. I told Ruthie I wouldn't date her if her parents didn't approve," Martin confessed.

Mac gave Martin a look of pity. "Good old, Sandy! Even when she isn't ruining your life, indirectly she still is. Sorry, man. Tough break, but you and Ruthie will work it out."

Martin turned to his friend. "Sadly enough, getting Ruthie to speak to me isn't the least of my worries. I still have to find a way to break things off with Meredith, my girlfriend."

"You and your women troubles," Mac laughed, shaking his head and walking away.

"So, what did you find out?" Lucy asked her father, tossing her purse onto the sofa in Eric's office.

Eric rubbed his chin, thoughtfully. "Ruthie and Martin have decided that they want to start dating each other."

Lucy gave her father a knowing look. "I figured that much. What I want to know is what did you and Mom say?"

"We said no," Eric answered. "And now Ruthie hates us and her life is over. Those are her words, by the way."

Lucy sat down in the brown, leather chair opposite her father. "She must be heartbroken."

"I thought that you were of the same mindset. You didn't want them dating either."

"Right, but that doesn't change the fact that Ruthie is probably terribly hurt and confused right now," Lucy pointed out. "She'll come around though. How many times did Mary or I think our lives were over when one of our relationships didn't pan out?"

Eric smiled, thankful their days of teenage dating drama were over. Lucy had grown into such an outstanding woman. Eric felt so much pride watching his daughter be a wife and a mother, but most importantly, a minister. But now his focus had to be on his youngest daughter and getting her through this ordeal.

"Any suggestions?" Eric asked Lucy.

Lucy shrugged. "I hate to say this, but she'll be upset for a while. You and Mom should just give her the space she needs to get through this on her own. You have to see things from her perspective; she finally got the courage to put herself out there to Martin only to have you and Mom destroy any possibility for them to be together."

"That was supposed to help me feel better?" Eric asked.

Lucy shrugged. "It could be worse."

"How?"

Lucy got to her feet and gathered up her purse. At the doorway, she paused and turned back to her father. "You could be Ruthie," she whispered before leaving.

"Okay, so what did you want to talk about?" Meredith asked Martin as the two sat, parked in Martin's car.

"Do you remember that day after you had been to the dentist when we were sitting in the car outside your house?" Martin asked.

A slow smile lit up Meredith's face. "How could I forget? That was the day you first told me that you loved me."

Martin had forgotten that part momentarily. "Right, well we also talked about something else that day."

Meredith's smile disappeared. "That hoochie, Sandy?"

Martin tried to hide his smile. Meredith couldn't be mean even if she tried. "Yeah."

"I personally like to forget about that whole part. What makes you bring it up now?"

Martin shifted in his seat, finding the car incredibly stuffy all of a sudden. He rolled his window down. "I wasn't completely forthcoming that day, Meredith."

A look of worry passed over her face. "About what?"

"Sandy. I told you that I had slept with her, but I didn't exactly tell you everything."

Meredith's face contorted. "I don't want to know any of the details, please!"

Martin sighed. This was harder than he had imagined. "After it happened, Sandy told me that she was… she was… that she was… pregnant."

Meredith closed her eyes tightly and stopped breathing. Martin tried to read her facial expression, but couldn't get anything from it. Was she angry? Hurt? Scared? What was she feeling? What was she thinking?

"So what you're saying is that you're going to be a father?" Meredith asked, finally looking at Martin. The hurt was evident in her eyes. It was the same hurt he had seen coming from Ruthie's eyes the day she confronted him about lying to her.

"Not exactly. Things turned out in my favor. There was no baby," Martin exposed. "I haven't spoken to Sandy since and because of her lies, I probably won't ever again."

Meredith took an unsteady, deep breath. She let it out slowly before looking at Martin. "I can understand why you wouldn't tell me something like that. You were obviously scared and didn't know how to handle the situation. It's not like you cheated on me or anything."

Martin's mind flashed back to the kiss he and Ruthie had shared in his living room. He felt the color rise to his cheeks, the warmth fill his body. It happened any time he thought about Ruthie's warm tongue circling his.

"Martin?" Meredith asked, breaking him away from his memory. "Is there something else?"

Martin nodded his head slowly. Meredith looked out her window and away from Martin. "I'm just trying to be honest," Martin started. "Lately there's been a lot going on with me. You have no idea how overwhelming a situation like thinking you're going to be a father really is until you're faced with it. My emotions have been on a roller coaster. And I've found out some stuff about myself that I never knew."

"Things like?" Meredith probed.

Martin decided he needed to be straight with Meredith, lay everything on the table, show all his cards and hope for the best. "My feelings toward you haven't changed, but I have discovered some other feelings that I didn't know were there until all of this happened."

Meredith smiled shyly. "You like Ruthie," she said simply. Martin gave her a quizzical look. "I guess I've always been afraid that this day would come. I mean, if I knew it was there, it would only be a matter of time before the two of you figured it out."

"How did you know?" Martin asked.

Meredith shrugged. "It's just how you are with each other. It's hard to explain, but I was always worried that I'd never be able to compare to her."

"That's not what this is, Meredith. I think you're amazing and I never lied when I said that I loved you. I just didn't realize that I cared about Ruthie too," Martin confessed. "For what it's worth, which is probably not much, I am sorry."

"Can I ask you a question?" Meredith asked. Martin nodded his approval. "How did you come to find all of this out?"

Martin paused, long enough for Meredith's suspicions to be verified. Martin quickly tried to cover it up. "It's not like that, Meredith. Ruthie and I were fighting and she was upset that I had lied to her about Sandy. The next thing I knew, I was seeing her in a whole different light."

"So nothing happened between you two?" she asked, a sense of relief washing over her.

Martin shrugged. "A kiss." And oh, what a kiss!

Meredith took a deep, resigned breath. "I don't think I really want to talk to you for a while. I need time to get used to the idea of you and Ruthie. Please respect that and if I don't talk to you first, just leave it be, okay?"

Martin nodded, satisfied that this was going along so much better than he had hoped it would. "Ruthie and I aren't together, if that makes things easier. Her parents don't want us dating because of the Sandy thing."

Meredith reached for the door handle. "I know that this is going to sound mean, but I'm actually glad that you're not getting to date Ruthie. You can't expect to have your cake and eat it too."


	8. Confessions

A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who wrote such awesome reviews! I hope I don't disappoint.

A knock came on Ruthie's door, but she ignored it. Her parents had been trying to break through the wall she had erected all week. Ruthie wasn't about to give in any time soon.

"Ruthie?" came Lucy's quiet voice. "Can I come in?"

Ruthie sighed and got up from her bed to unlock the door. She stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame. "You were with them, weren't you?"

Lucy gave Ruthie a confused look. "With who?"

"You agree with Mom and Dad about not letting Martin and I see each other, right?" Ruthie rephrased.

Lucy nodded her head. Ruthie went to slam the door in Lucy's face, showing her exactly what she thought of her betrayal, but Lucy caught her foot in the door. "Ruthie, stop it! I just wanted to come and see if you were okay?"

Ruthie gave up the struggle, knowing that Lucy could be just as stubborn as she was, and returned to her bed. Lucy walked into the room slowly, cautiously, taking a seat at Ruthie's desk. It seemed like only yesterday that Lucy herself was living in this room.

"I don't want to talk to you, traitor!" Ruthie said plainly, turning away from her older sister.

"Fine. So you'll listen and I'll talk," Lucy returned. "Ruthie, Mom and Dad only have your best interests in mind here. Martin is older and he's experienced. You're still new to this whole dating thing. Being with someone who might be moving at a different pace than you can push you into situations that you don't want or need to be in."

"Well thanks for the warning, Reverend Kinkirk, but I'm still not interested," Ruthie retorted.

Lucy sighed. It was so much easier to talk with people who actually wanted your advice than with someone who hated you for it. "When Kevin and I first started dating, things were hard for us too. There were times when I even thought about breaking up with him and there were even more times when Kevin wanted to break up with me."

Ruthie, not meaning to show interest, snuck an incredulous look at her sister, before returning her gaze to the wall behind her bed. It was impossible to think of a time when Kevin and Lucy had been anything but in love.

"It's true, Ruth. Kevin was older and he'd been with other girls. There were plenty of times when we would be together, doing the normal things that couples who are in love do, and I would put on the breaks, Kevin would get frustrated and we'd usually go home angry and dissatisfied. But I was old enough and mature enough and sure of my convictions not to fold under Kevin's pressure. And our marriage, our life together is so much better for it."

Ruthie finally turned toward her sister. "Do you really think Martin's the type of guy to pressure a girl into sex?"

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Do you think that Kevin is?"

Lucy was right. Kevin was the sweetest guy ever. But when things between a guy and girl heat up, morals and character can sometimes go out the window.

"Do you understand what I'm saying, Ruthie?" Lucy asked.

Ruthie nodded her head. "Yes, but I am sure of my convictions and Martin is sure of his. Yes, he made a mistake with Sandy. But does that mean that he can't still be firm on his beliefs?"

Lucy shook her head. "Of course not. I'm sure that Martin has learned his lesson and right now he's probably positive that he won't have sex again until he's married. But… let's say that you and Martin are alone, at his house, and you're… together. Things are great. You're in love and doing nothing more than expressing that love. It takes a really strong, united team to walk away from that and not get carried away. Can you honestly say that you and Martin would be able to be that strong team?"

Ruthie thought about what Lucy was saying. Then she thought about the kiss she and Martin had shared. She thought about how brazen she'd been, practically throwing herself at Martin. She also remembered how Martin had denied himself another such kiss.

"I just think that everyone is being stupid not letting us have the chance to prove you all wrong!" Ruthie shouted. "Martin included!"

Lucy got up from her chair and went over to Ruthie. She hugged her sister. "Give it time, Ruthie. If you and Martin are meant to be together, things will work out. But respect Mom and Dad's decision and see it for what it is; they're just trying to protect you."

"How'd it go?" Kevin asked, throwing the dishtowel over his shoulder, as he put the last dinner plate away.

Lucy sighed and hung her jacket up on the hook beside the door. "I don't know. I think I got through to her, but I think she's still pretty upset with my parents."

Kevin hugged his wife, resting his chin on the top of her head. "It was good of you to try. And Ruthie's a strong girl. She'll get through all of this and be on to the next guy in less than a month."

Lucy smiled up at Kevin. "I don't know. I think she really likes Martin. I think she's convinced herself that Martin is the be all and end all."

Kevin walked his wife into their bedroom, arm still across her shoulders. Lucy sat down heavily on their bed. Kevin turned to Lucy. "So what did you tell her anyway?"

Lucy blushed. "I used a little bit of our personal experience actually."

Kevin stopped what he was doing and stared at Lucy. "What personal experience?"

"Remember when we first started dating and we would be making out in your car? I told Ruthie about how hard it was for you to stop, since you'd already experienced sex."

Kevin's jaw dropped open. "You told Ruthie that? About me?"

Lucy shrugged. "It's the truth and if it helps her to see why my parents don't want her dating Martin, then it's no big deal."

"Maybe not for you. You just made me look like some sex fiend to our little sister!" Kevin defended. "Did you tell her that there were plenty of times when I was the one to put on the brakes and tell you to stop?"

Lucy blushed again, the color deepening as Kevin walked toward her and sat down beside her on the bed. Kevin leaned in close and kissed her tenderly. Lucy smiled and kissed Kevin back, the two of them falling backwards onto their bed.

Martin shifted nervously from one foot to another. He hadn't rung this particular doorbell in ages and felt a little weird doing it now, but it was something that couldn't be avoided.

Eric opened the front door and gave Martin a surprised look. "Martin? You rang the doorbell?"

Martin nodded, taking a deep breath before saying, "I'm here to talk to you, sir."

Eric held the door opened for Martin, allowing him access to the house. Instead of finding his own way, Martin stood, waiting for Eric. "You want to go into the kitchen?"

"Can we be alone there?" Martin asked.

Eric pointed to the dining room. "I'll get us something to drink. Make yourself, well, at home."

Eric quickly moved into the kitchen, drawing close to Annie and whispering, "Martin's here! He wants to talk. He rang the doorbell. What do you think this means?"

Annie smiled at her husband. How he had made it through two teenage girls was beyond her. Annie began to pour two glasses of milk and fill a plate with some homemade cookies. She placed them all on a tray without saying a word. She handed Eric the tray, smiled, and pointed him to the dining room. She felt best staying out of this one. If Martin had wanted to speak with her, he would have asked.

Eric smiled nervously at Martin as he placed the tray on the table, between them. Martin looked just as nervous, with a mix of determination.

"So you wanted to talk?" Eric asked.

Martin nodded his head and took a deep breath. "I made a mistake with Ruthie, Reverend Camden."

"A mistake?" Eric asked. There was that chest pain again! "You mean in wanting to date her?"

"No. I mean in not fighting hard enough for your permission to be able to date her. Instead I thought about all of the nice things that you and your family have done for me. And while I appreciate your generosity and kindness, I shouldn't have put that ahead of my feelings for Ruthie," Martin finished, taking another gulp of fresh air.

Eric sighed. "I do appreciate your honesty and your willingness to fight for my daughter. But my wife and I have made up our minds. We just don't think it's a good idea."

"I think that you're judging me based on what happened with Sandy. I think that if there had been no Sandy and Ruthie and I came to you both, asking for permission to date, well I think you'd give it to us. Am I wrong?" Martin asked, hoping in his eagerness to be forceful, he wasn't being rude.

Eric took a long drink from his glass of milk. Then he picked up a cookie and began nibbling away. He was stalling, trying to find the right words. He cared about Martin like he was his own son, but he was disappointed in the boy's mistakes. He didn't want his baby girl dating this boy, and it was the worst feeling he had ever experienced.

"Reverend Camden, I know that you and your family are disappointed in me. I understand why," Martin said easily. "But the thing I don't understand is how you can be so unforgiving. Aren't people allowed to have second chances?"

"Martin, you're like a son to Annie and I. We regard you in the same sense we regard all of our children. We were disappointed that you chose not to wait for marriage before having sex, but we were more disappointed that you refused to step up and assume responsibility when you thought you were going to be a father," Eric explained. "That girl, although she was being deceptive, needed you and you blew her off. That surprised me more than anything."

Martin swallowed hard and took a sip of his milk. It didn't help to lubricate his dry mouth and throat. "I got scared and acted like a coward. I wasn't ready to accept that I might have gotten someone pregnant. I was ashamed that I had lost my way so easily. I'd always said that I would wait until I was married and then I didn't. I knew that as soon as I accepted the fact that Sandy might be pregnant, I'd have to admit to myself that I had sinned against my own beliefs. And more than anything, I didn't want to do that."

"I understand and I'm glad that you've seen all of this and have worked through it. I don't, however, think that moving on to the next girl is the right choice at this time," Eric pointed out.

"I would normally agree with you. But this is Ruthie we're talking about. I didn't even realize that I liked her until it was staring me in the face. And now that I know, I can't just pretend like I don't."

Eric rubbed the top of his head, in deep thought. He wanted to believe this boy. He wanted to trust that Martin would never harm Ruthie or put her in any danger. He wanted to have faith in his youngest daughter and in the lessons he had taught her.

"Reverend Camden, if you were to let Ruthie and I date, on a trial basis, I think we could prove to you, I could prove to you, that we can be trusted. I would never do anything to hurt Ruthie, sir. I care about her a lot. All I'm asking for is a chance," Martin pleaded.

Eric slumped his shoulders. "This goes against my better judgment, Martin, so please don't disappoint me."

A smile spread across Martin's face. Eric hadn't seen that familiar glow in a while and was happy it was back. Getting up from the table, Eric and Martin shared a quick hug. Eric hoped he was making the right decision.


	9. Not One Bit

Martin finished his conversation with Eric and then asked his permission to go up to Ruthie's room and ask her out on a date. The whole situation felt awkward considering how many times Martin and Ruthie had been alone in her room and in his, but Martin still wanted to be respectful. Eric smiled and nodded his acceptance.

Martin took the stairs two at a time, overly excited to tell Ruthie the good news. (He just hoped that she would be willing to talk to him.)

Ruthie's door was ajar when he approached it. He could hear Ruthie's voice. It sounded a lot more lighthearted than he had assumed it would, considering how upset she had been last week.

"Well thanks for the support. It's good to know that we can still be friends," Ruthie said. "A movie? Yeah, I think that would be okay, but I'll have to check with my parents. (giggle) You're too funny! Okay, okay. I have to get back to my homework anyway. I'll call you tomorrow and let you know about Saturday. Thanks. You too. Good night!"

Martin waited until he heard the click of the phone, before bursting into Ruthie's bedroom. Ruthie jumped a good foot, clutching her chest when her feet finally returned to the ground. "Martin?"

"Who was that on the phone?" he asked angrily.

Ruthie's composure returned and she squared off against Martin, hands on hips. "None of your business and I would appreciate it if you'd knock before barging into my room."

"Who were you talking to?" Martin repeated.

Ruthie looked away when she answered, "Vincent."

Martin rolled his eyes and strolled into Ruthie's room, straight to her phone. He picked up the receiver and handed it to Ruthie. "Phone him back and tell him to never phone here again," he demanded.

Ruthie stepped back to get a better look at Martin. "Excuse me?"

"Should I dial or should you?"

"No one is dialing Vincent. He heard through some mutual friends that I've been pretty down lately and he wanted to call and see if I was okay," Ruthie explained.

Martin sighed and crossed his arms firmly over his broad chest. "He's a jerk! I don't want you talking to him again."

"You're not my boyfriend, remember?" Ruthie shot back.

"Well, just to set the record straight, I'd like to be! I was coming up here to tell you that your father finally agreed to let us date. It's nice to know that while I was downstairs fighting for us you were up here chatting away with your ex!" Martin shouted.

Ruthie tried to process all that she was hearing. Martin had convinced her father to let them date each other? Martin fought for them to be together? How had she not known this?

Martin's tone softened as he sat down at Ruthie's desk. "I don't like Vincent. He treated you bad and he wasn't good for you. It sounded almost like he was asking you out on a date or something. Even more disturbing is the fact that it sounded like you were accepting. You weren't actually going to go out with him again, were you?"

Ruthie shrugged. "I'm a single girl. I can date whomever I choose."

"Didn't you hear anything I just said to you?" Martin asked, his voice rising again. "I came up here to ask you out on a date."

"So go ahead and ask," Ruthie said with a smirk.

Martin smiled and got up from his chair to stand directly in front of Ruthie. He looked down into her beautiful eyes and took a deep breath, taking in the fragrance that always reminded him of her. "Ruthie Camden, would you like to go out with me?"

Ruthie shrugged nonchalantly. "It depends. I've got a really busy schedule and then there's…"

Martin interrupted Ruthie with a kiss that told her exactly how much he wanted her to clear up her schedule. He wrapped his arms around her petite frame and lifted her off of the ground, so their faces were eye-to-eye, forehead-to-forehead. He looked deeply into Ruthie's eyes and said, "I think I'm going to like having you for a girlfriend."

"I think I'm going to like having you for a boyfriend," Ruthie answered back.

"I don't think I'm going to like any of this," Eric said to Annie as they watched Martin and Ruthie hug and kiss through the opening in Ruthie's bedroom door. "Not one bit."

A/N: There will be a part two (since I've got some great scenarios for Martin and Ruthie) but it will come out under a different story name. Thanks for all of the great support and kind words. I can't wait to get started on Part 2…


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